Direct-to-Consumer Advertising

I was prompted to look up exactly how prescription drug commercials are regulated, because I noticed that each of them includes some different elements these days. It struck me that, while we used to hear a long list of possible side effects by a fast talking male voice(sometimes including "death"!), now, more often, there is a lovely woman doctor, talking to a patient about the possible "risks" involved with taking the certain drug. It's much easier to swallow that way (no pun intended)...

The FDA allows this because (according to Carol Rados) "Recognizing the time constraints of broadcast ads, FDA regulations provide that a broadcast advertisement may include, instead of a brief summary, information relating to the major risks." Okay. There's really no good way to go about this, and it is definitely controversial to advertise on television at all. This article on the FDA website is actually really interesting, and shed some light on how it all works. And it tells you the three different kinds of ads, each with its own set of restrictions (or lack thereof). You can find it here.

I know, not everyone can stop the medications that they are taking, and no doubt there's something to be said for prescription drugs at certain points in certain peoples lives, but my question is, at what point in medical school do future doctors get taught to ignore the fact that all drugs are poison? If drugs weren't toxic they would have no side effects, and all drugs have side effects. Scientists have been working very hard to build "better" drugs that "outsmart" the body instead of trying to work with the body to promote healing. Unfortunately the end product of that is we are left with a series of chemicals that mask the problem, and the cause of the problem stays hidden.

The body has an amazing capacity to heal itself when given what it needs. We need to come back to that faith in it. Not just faith, it IS scientific, all the body systems interact with one another, so isolating them and treating parts(with toxins/poisons), naturally would work against healing. Maybe this is obvious to most of you, maybe I'm feeling the need to rant. But if we are going to get some sort of truly affordable healthcare now, I think it should absolutely include a preventative system. That means covering non-invasive so-called "alternative" treatments before our bodies are further poisoned by drugs or surgeries to remove organs that have very specific and important jobs to do (contrary to popular belief, the gallbladder is not just an evolutionary relic)!

We can all change the way health is handled by taking an active interest in our own. That includes talking to your doctor about ALL the options available, and being up front about what you are okay with and what you aren't. They have years of training, yes. But you are the one who has to live (literally, live IN the body) with the treatments they prescribe. They are not the only authority, and there is no magic pill.